Sunday 27 May 2012

New sungura group releases album

The Now Now Zvino Band, a fairly new outfit based in Harare’s suburb of Glen Norah, is set to storm the Zimbabwean music scene with its high energy sungura beat. The band recently released its debut album entitled Tindo, whose essence is a uniquely Zimbabwean sound that is a pleasing blend of tight sungura and jiti rhythms with colourful maungwe lyrics.

Their music is strident and full of verve and innovation; giving the sungura genre new texture and taking it to another dimension. One may pick up beats of Leonard Dembo, James Chimombe and perhaps dashes of chimurenga beats on some of their music.

“We have been working at creating team cohesion and consolidating our chosen genre which we call sungura jit. We try to be as original as we possibly can. Any similarities with current sounds are merely coincidental,” said band leader Langton Muchangwarira.

Their debut album whose songs touch on the realities of everyday life in Zimbabwe is comprised of the title track Tindo which is about tribulations of a young single mother. The song Femera Mugotsi is the band’s rallying cry and a warning that they are hard on the heels of the big boys. The track laments a once good marriage now on the rocks as the wife apparently starts having extra-marital affairs. The album also has potential hits that include Sekuru, Makuva, Rusaruro and Marwadza.

The upcoming five-member band was formed three years ago and has become a popular feature on Harare’s nightclub circuit. It features Muchangwarira (Lead, rhythm, lead vocals and bass), Venganai Chinochema (backing vocals), Marikebo Chimombo (vocals, drums), Lloyd Virimai and Kenias Machaha (rhythm and lead).

Muchangwarira was born 33 years ago. He started playing the tin banjo at the age of 12 in Mutungagore, Nyazura, his rural home where his official title is Sabhuku Ndongwe. A gifted man with a real passion for playing music, Langton’s preference is to entertain whenever he gets the chance.

He recalls: “I was working in South Africa a few years ago when one afternoon my Zimbabwean neighbours thronged my flat on hearing the tunes coming from my guitar. Among them was a white guy who said the sound was pulling at his heart-strings, as he once lived in Zimbabwe.”

The Now Now Zvino Band has plenty of new and original material. The outfit has more songs in the offing and it is ready to go into the studio to record a second album. The band is set for greater heights as it will for the first time share the stage with Oliver Mutukudzi and Alick Macheso at a show that will be held on June 1 at Chitungwiza Aquatic Complex.

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